Skip to main content

Nigerians troop out to welcome Paralympians from Rio

Rio Olympic Paralympic Games Games: Team Nigeria departs Rio

Rio Olympic Paralympic Games Games: Team Nigeria departs Rio

Several hundred Nigerians on Sunday turned out at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja to welcome the first batch of victorious 2016 Paralympics athletes from Rio in Brazil.

The Team Nigeria to the Paralympics Games which ended on Sunday won 12 medals in Rio.

Receiving the athletes, the acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youths and Sports, Luka Jonathan, congratulated the athletes for making the country proud.

Jonathan, who is the Director of Youths in the ministry, said the athletes have put the country on top of other African countries on the medals table.

“Today is a wonderful day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in it.

“We are celebrating you now because you have done this country proud.

“History was made with your victorious outing to Rio.

“We appreciate your individual and collective efforts which have placed Nigeria on a very prominent position on the medals table.

“I am happy that Nigeria has led other African nations in this Games,’’ he said.

Jonathan promised that there would be a proper reception for the athletes when they had all returned from Rio.

The Assistant Captain of the team and a silver medallist in power-lifting, Esther Oyema, thanked the government and the people of Nigeria for their support and prayers.

She thanked Nigerians for the reception at the airport, saying such had never happened before.

Oyema said the team was able to win medals because the members were determined to make the country proud.

Roland Ezuruike, gold medallist in -54kg power-lifting, attributed their success to God, hard work and determination.

He called on government to reward them by doing something that would better their lives.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg
Post a Comment
Read more

FG berates US congressman over comment

Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture Photo: Femi Ipaye/PM News The Federal Government has described as sadly out of tune with reality the published letter from US Congressman Tom Marino to Secretary of State John Kerry, asking the US to withhold security assistance to Nigeria on the strength of some imaginary infraction by the Buhari Administration. In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said Congressman Marino was poorly informed about the issues he commented on, wondering why he did not take the pains to get first hand information from the US Embassy in Nigeria or any other credible source before engaging in what is nothing but a ‘propaganda of his own imagination’. The Minister said by asking the US to refrain from selling warplanes and other military equipment to Nigeria based on a faulty premise, the Congressman has demonstrated a poor understanding of global security issues. ”Insecurity anywhere i
Post a Comment
Read more

Aubameyang leads Gabon to Nations Cup

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leads the cast for Gabon as the hosts became the first team to name their final 2017 Africa Cup of Nations squad. The team captain and Borussia Dortmund star will lead the home players out for the opening game of the tournament against debutants Guinea-Bissau on 14 January in Libreville. Gabon have also named Sunderland midfielder Didier Ndong despite the player being left out of November’s World Cup qualifier in Mali. Ndong was in the capital city Libreville but failed to turn up for international duty ahead of the Mali game last month, forcing the Gabonese Football Federation [Fegafoot] to send him back to England. But a remorseful Ndong, who held clear-the-air talks with Fegafoot has been included in a 23-man Panthers squad. Other names to make the final party include Juventus midfielder Mario Lemina, Bruno Ecuélé Manga of Cardiff City and China-based striker Malick Evouna. Gabon coach José Antonio Camacho included three do
Post a Comment
Read more